Kathmandu: The Department of Roads has announced that the construction of Nepal’s first advanced tunnel, the Nagdhunga Tunnel, is in its final stage.
According to the department, the tunnel will come into operation in the near future, with 94.5 percent of the work already completed. The remaining work is scheduled to be finished by October.
The government plans to collect user fees from vehicles passing through the tunnel to ensure sustainable resources for its operation and maintenance in the future.
In line with this, the Cabinet meeting held on August 12 has already approved the tunnel’s user fee. To facilitate fee collection, the project is preparing to implement an RFID-based toll collection system. The installation work for this system is currently underway.
With this system, vehicles will be equipped with RFID tags linked to bank accounts, allowing direct payment of toll charges for tunnel use through windshield-mounted devices.
For tunnel operation, management, and maintenance, the department has finalized an operation manual prepared and approved by Japanese consultants. The system will ensure 24/7 services, including emergency rescue, fire control, continuous operation of power supply, lighting, ventilation, internal communication, remote monitoring, emergency services, firefighting, and other advanced facilities. Skilled manpower with required specifications will be deployed to manage these operations.
The Department of Roads is currently preparing for procurement of service providers for tunnel operation, management, and maintenance. The Ministry of Finance has already approved the funding requirements, and the Cabinet has endorsed the procurement guidelines. A draft bidding document has been prepared and is under discussion at the Public Procurement Monitoring Office.
Additionally, the necessary norms for cost estimation have been approved, and the preparation of the cost estimate is ongoing.
The department has assured that all work will be completed on time and the tunnel will be opened to the public in the near future.
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